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A review by amandainthelibrary
Elektra by Jennifer Saint
5.0
Jennifer Saint knocks her sophomore release out of the park. Elektra is a fantastic foray back into retellings of Ancient Greek Mythology. It follows three female figures who have thus far remained silent in the backdrop of the Trojan War. We meet Clytemnestra (Helen of Troy's sister and King Agamemnon's wife), Elektra (daughter of Queen Clytemnestra and King Agamemnon of Mycenae), and Cassandra (daughter of King Priam of Troy). All three women tell the story of the Trojan War from their viewpoint.
This book is truly special because the reader learns about the aftermath of Agamemnon's terrible departure from Greece, and the happenings in Mycenae during the ten years he is gone through the lens of his wife and daughter. The reader gets to know both Clytemnestra and Elektra more intimately which adds more depth to their characters and doesn't solely rely on the narrative being focused on Helen alone.
Troy isn't entirely left out of the story, and for once a book isn't all about Helen. It's exciting to learn more about Cassandra from the time of her childhood until the fall of Troy. Cassandra is often written off as a crazed side character, but this book brings more depth to her, and also allows the reader to feel a great deal of sympathy for her mistreatment and ostracism.
I can't praise this book enough because it finally makes Helen of Troy a side character and lets other women from Greek Mythology have their moment in the sun. I was extremely excited to receive an ARC copy of this book after reading Jennifer Saint's debut novel Ariadne. This is a must-read for lovers of Greek Mythology, Mythology with a modern retelling, and Strong female characters.
#Netgalleyreads
This book is truly special because the reader learns about the aftermath of Agamemnon's terrible departure from Greece, and the happenings in Mycenae during the ten years he is gone through the lens of his wife and daughter. The reader gets to know both Clytemnestra and Elektra more intimately which adds more depth to their characters and doesn't solely rely on the narrative being focused on Helen alone.
Troy isn't entirely left out of the story, and for once a book isn't all about Helen. It's exciting to learn more about Cassandra from the time of her childhood until the fall of Troy. Cassandra is often written off as a crazed side character, but this book brings more depth to her, and also allows the reader to feel a great deal of sympathy for her mistreatment and ostracism.
I can't praise this book enough because it finally makes Helen of Troy a side character and lets other women from Greek Mythology have their moment in the sun. I was extremely excited to receive an ARC copy of this book after reading Jennifer Saint's debut novel Ariadne. This is a must-read for lovers of Greek Mythology, Mythology with a modern retelling, and Strong female characters.
#Netgalleyreads